Gables Waterway Project
The proposed Gables Waterway development consists in the construction of a series of 13-story buildings intended to replace an existing 3-story structure surrounding the Mahi Canal on Gables Waterway in a U-shape (Caballero Blvd, US1 and South Alhambra Cir).
Drawing of the proposed project, with US1 in the middle and 13 story buildings in South Alhambra on the left and Caballero Blvd on the right.
The Mahi Canal in Gables Waterway has a balanced ecosystem with very clean water with seagrass vegetation, fish, manatees, sometimes even sharks and dolphins and plenty of sea life. It is recognized as an essential habitat for manatees under the Miami-Dade County Manatee Protection Plan, serving as a critical winter refuge for these endangered marine mammals. Today, at the end of the canal on US1 between South Alhambra Circle and Caballero Boulevard, it is possible to observe those gentle and helpless creatures during the cool months raising their calves. Despite legal protections afforded by environmental laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the City of Coral Gables may approve the 13-story Gables Waterway development and this would be devastating for this manatee sanctuary and the well-being of these gentle animals!
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The construction's dewatering process for underground parking of 500+ vehicles along the canal, seawall revisions, and the influx of construction waste are anticipated to degrade water quality not only during the construction phase but potentially for years afterward. Increased water traffic and recreational activities with motor and non motor vessels, coupled with construction-related debris, noise, water pollution, and shading from the towering structures, collectively threaten both the manatees and the seagrass beds essential to their survival.
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The permanent tower megastructures of up to 13 floors will add 251 new apartments and approximately new 1,000 inhabitants to that small area. All this can disrupt the entire ecosystem of the end of canal. The loss of sunlight alone can lead to the decline of aquatic plants, destabilizing the ecosystem. Additionally, the substantial amount of construction dust settling into the delicate microhabitats they rely on will further jeopardize plant life. This sedimentation will deprive mangroves and aquatic plants of the sunlight needed for photosynthesis, compounding the ecological impact.
There are possibly many other consequences that may be unforeseen by normal people like us, that can harm significantly or even eradicate the manatees in that region. In the meeting of April 1st with the Waterway Advisory Board at the City of Coral Gables, Mr Kirk, the environment representative of the developer of the project, spoke to the board that the 13 floor high rise buildings won't cast a lot of shade in the canal. This lack of environmental responsibility of the developers and their representatives needs to be combated by the people. We urge you to help us fight this unwelcome development as the manatees are worth saving.
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For those who want details about what the developers are requesting, here is the project drawings and proposal in the City of Coral Gables